Paternity Leave
by StressBakingElf
Summary: It took a lot to shock Edelgard. She thought she'd seen everything, that is, until a baffling notice from Hubert landed on her desk. "Pardon my sudden absence Your Majesty. I am urgently needed at home and must go on paternity leave effective immediately." Fluff Post Canon Cute Friendship Slice of Life Crimson Flower Ending Hubert Von Vestra SPOILER: its a pegasus


It took a lot to shock Edelgard. She thought, as Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, that she'd seen most everything.

That is, until a baffling notice from Hubert landed on her desk.

"Pardon my sudden absence Your Majesty. I am urgently needed at home and must go on paternity leave effective immediately."

She read it aloud twice, staring blankly at the parchment. She clutched her chest and sank into the chair in her office, questions swirling in her head. Life, it seems, was more wild than she'd ever imagined.

"With WHO?!" How had she not noticed Hubert having a child? Was such information so secret her, his longest friend, his lord and majesty, wasn't allowed to know? "Dorothea? No, she's my wife." Edelgard scratched her head, furiously gazing at the word 'paternity'. "Bernie? Doesn't feel right, although it would explain the secrecy. Ferdinand? I don't even know! Petra- doesn't even live in Fodlan... ugh!"

Edelgard was going to have to go to the Vestra estate herself. It was all she could think about all day until she could finally take her leave. There was too much tension and confusion in her mind to warrant sitting still for a carriage ride and opted to take her wyvern instead. She ran through different congratulation messages in her head, trying to imagine Hubert with a baby and simply failing. She WAS happy for him- she'd just have to keep the annoyance and betrayal of not being told of Hubert's son or daughter to a minimum.

She had regained her composure by the time she alighted on the front pathway of the ancient estate. A servant ran up to her and bowed while taking the wyvern's reigns. "I'll secure him for you, Your Majesty."

Edelgard nodded. "Where's Hubert? In his study?"

"Oh- not in the study, Your Majesty. Lord Vestra in the stables." They paused. "He might be napping."

How many more times was Edelgard going to be rendered speechless that day? She strode to the Vestra stables with purpose in her steps, wondering what on earth could possibly lead Hubert to have a baby and then sleep in his own stables. She scanned every stall in the barn, looking back and forth until she got to one on the very end and her mouth fell open with surprise.

Hubert was indeed napping on a bed of hay- with a baby pegasus snoozing right next to him, head laid in his lap.

A pegasus.

Hubert had never let go of his minuscule soft spot for them.

"Oh." Edelgard hadn't meant to let the noise escape her, but at least it meant she could talk to him.

Hubert stirred tiredly, hay stuck to his all black clothing with a few straws sticking out of his hair. "Ah, Lady Edelgard. This is..." he trailed off, looking at the large horse stall and then up at her over the door, "the least presentable you've ever seen me."

Edelgard covered her mouth and laughed, relief washing over her. "It's alright- I- haha- wanted to say congratulations and offer my confusion upon reading your memo."

"Apologies if I am not permitted on leave- I didn't know how else to phrase it in a rush."

"No- no, it's okay." Edelgard held back from saying it was adorable. The pegasus woke up from its nap and, to Edelgard's amazement, nuzzled Hubert's chest affectionately. "How long have you been in here?"

"Feels like a full day, almost." Hubert diverted his attention to the pegasus foal, giving it a rare smile and petting its soft coat. Even for a foal, it looked skinny. He reached off to his side and grabbed a bottle of milk, kneeling up on the hay as the pegasus stood up too. The soft expression on Hubert's face was foreign to Edelgard as he bottle fed the pegasus. "She's a rescue- abandoned by her mare and, it seems, barely taken care of in the past couple weeks before I got her. She wouldn't eat anything at first, but I haven't left her side. She's already doing much better."

Edelgard had to say it. "This is adorable."

"I am the only one I trust to properly socialize her and take care of her. I'd hate to have to dispose of any of my servants for failing to nourish such a delicate creature."

Edelgard could easily read between the lines and translate, 'I love this pegasus more than I love myself.' "So, I suppose you'll be getting over your fear of heights with your new friend?"

"Hmmm." Hubert eyed the pegasus as she drank. The pegasus was pure white and covered in a well groomed coat, although not quite as thick as it should've been. Hubert had spent so much time with her he even had a few tufts of baby feathers stuck to his black shirt. "Perhaps. Never into combat, though," he said softly, as though promising his beloved pegasus that she'd never be in danger.

Edelgard knew firsthand how protective and attentive Hubert could be, and also that she couldn't remember an animal loving him this much in all the years she'd known him. "Well, congratulations are still in order. I was racking my brain trying to figure out who you'd had a secret child with."

"Oh dear," said Hubert faintly.

"Yes. I'm relieved- no offense."

"None taken. I suppose Ferdinand will finally get a chance to prove that he's better than me, while I take care of Mire."

"Mire?" Edelgard smiled at the cute, innocent pegasus as it stretched its wings while it nursed. Even as a baby under a month old, her wingspan was impressive. "Alright, no one will ever doubt she's yours."

Mire finished the bottle of milk and Hubert patted her neck as praise. The pegasus licked Hubert's face and all he did was grin, looking back at Edelgard. "I suppose she had to do that while you were here to see."

Edelgard couldn't stop feeling elated as she watched Hubert and the pegasus together. She evidently only got to see the soft, blackmail worthy side of him only once every twenty years. She wasn't in a rush to leave. A warm presence around her ankles made her look down at a bright orange cat purring at her feet. "Do I want to know the name of this cat? Is it Dark Spikes?"

Hubert huffed with amusement. He busied himself with helping Mire preen, fingers gently running through her feathers. "Is it orange? Linhardt gave me a kitten some time ago, and by gave me I mean set it loose in my house without telling me. The name is his fault."

Edelgard swept the cat up into her arms and checked the collar. She instantly lost all of her composure, laughing and gasping for breath. "PURRDINAND?"

"Yes- he's been keeping Mire company too."

Edelgard unlatched the stall door and stepped inside. She set Purrdinand down and let Mire approach her. The pegasus sniffed at her and then immediately went back to Hubert for more grooming. "You've made a loyal friend."

"A miracle, isn't it?"

Edelgard could probably count on one hand the number of times she'd seen Hubert receive affection of any kind. He was head over heels for the baby pegasus, even if he'd never admit it directly. "I'm happy for you." Hubert still looked exhausted, the grey under his eyes more prominent than usual. "Remember to sleep when your baby sleeps."

Hubert sighed, tired but undeniably happy. "Oh, I know."


End file.
